Portable computer supporting paging instructions

• US 7,382,227 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Klein, Dean A., Barrus, Jeff, Thomas, Shane
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Nam
• Application Number:
  US10/742,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20040160308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 340 71- 74, 340/568.1, 340/571, 340/426.17, 340/825.44, 340/825.31, 340/539, 340/825.52, 340/5.2, 340/686.6, 340/328, 340/7.51, 340/5.25, 379/93.06, 710/101, 713/200, 709/246, 709/224, 709/250, 726 16- 18, 726/29, 726/35, 726/36
• US Class Current: 340/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/228 combined with other devices having a different main function, e.g. watches
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/023 with message or information receiving capability

Abstract

A portable computer is described that contains a circuit for receiving pages and performing security functions based on the received page. Once a page has been received by the portable computer, the computer'"'"'s hard drive can be automatically reformatted, or the portable computer can be prevented from booting. In addition, the portable computer can be programmed to use a modem to automatically dial a security center and transmit security information such as the Caller ID Tag of the current telephone number.

Claims

1. A computing device having a security function, the device comprising:

a wireless receiver; and

computer instructions operative to cause the device to perform the following;

respond to the entry of a correct password by allowing an end-user to associate a code with one or more security function commands, wherein the association between a code and one or more security function commands is reprogrammable and customizable by the end-user;

receive information via the wireless receiver;

set a resettable status flag in a memory of the device if the information is security information;

determine the state of the resettable status flag during a boot sequence;

terminate the boot sequence if the state of the resettable status flag indicates security information;

determine whether the security information corresponds to the code; and

if the security information corresponds to the code, execute the one or more security function commands after terminating the boot sequence.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a portable computing device.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the computing device comprises a portable computer.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver comprises a page receiver.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the device is configured to receive a page message.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to execute a security function command comprising altering existing data stored on the memory of the device.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the device is configured to execute a security function command comprising activating an audible alarm.

8. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the device is configured to execute a security function command comprising sending the Caller ID tag of a phone line connected to the device.

9. An apparatus having a security function, the apparatus comprising:

a security setup program in the apparatus configured to respond to the entry of a correct password by allowing an end-user to associate a code with one or more security function commands, wherein the code is reprogrammable and customizable by the end-user;

means for receiving information from a remote device;

a memory for storing a resettable status flag, wherein the resettable status flag is set if the information received via the receiving means is security information; and

a microprocessor configured to determine the state of the resettable status flag during a boot sequence, the microprocessor further configured to terminate the boot sequence if the state of the resettable status flag indicates security information, the microprocessor further configured to determine whether the security information comprises the code, and the microprocessor further configured to perform the security function commands after terminating the boot sequence if the security information comprises the code.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the setup program is configured to allow an end-user to customize the code more than one time.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises a portable computing device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises a portable computer.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the end-user customizes the code using at least one of a keyboard, keypad, stylus, or pointer device.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor is configured to perform a security function command comprising altering data stored in the memory of the device.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor is configured to perform a security function command comprising activating an audible alarm.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor is configured to perform a security function command comprising altering the performance of a subsequent boot sequence of the device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein altering the performance of a subsequent boot sequence comprises terminating the boot sequence if the code indicates that the device is lost or stolen.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a modem, wherein the microprocessor is configured to perform a security function command comprising instructing the modem to dial a predetermined telephone number and transmit a caller ID tag of a phone line to which the modem is connected.

19. A device comprising:

a configuration module in the device configured to respond to the entry of a correct password by allowing an end-user to establish one or more security codes, wherein each of the one or more security codes is associated with at least one of a plurality of security functions, and wherein the association between a security code and a security function is reprogrammable and customizable by the end-user; and

a microcontroller configured to;

receive information from a remote device;

set a resettable status flag in a memory of the device if the information is security information;

determine the state of the resettable status flag during a boot sequence;

terminate the boot sequence if the state of the resettable status flag indicates the security information;

determine whether the security information is representative of at least one of the security codes; and

execute at least one of the security functions if the security information is representative of at least one of the security codes after terminating the boot sequence.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the microcontroller causes the device to execute the at least one of said security codes.

21. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the security codes are stored in a non-volatile memory readable by the device.

22. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the information representative of at least one of said security codes is received via a wireless communication link.

23. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the information representative of at least one of said security codes is received via a paging device coupled to the device.

24. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the at least one of said security codes, when executed, causes data on at least a portion of an existing memory of the device to be altered.

25. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the existing memory comprises a hard drive.

26. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the at least one of said security codes, when executed, causes an audible alarm to activate.

27. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the at least one of said security codes, when executed, causes the sending of a Caller ID tag of a phone line connected to the device.

28. A device comprising:

a wireless receiver configured to receive a code from a remote device, wherein said received code indicates whether status information stored at the device should be set to abort normal boot sequence operations; and

a security setup program in the device configured to;

respond to the entry of a correct password by allowing an end-user to associate a code with one or more customized boot sequence operations;

set a resettable status flag when the received code indicates that status information stored at the device should be set to abort normal boot sequence operations;

during a boot sequence, determine whether the resettable status flag is set to abort the normal boot sequence operations;

terminate the normal boot sequence operations if the resettable status flag is set to abort the normal boot sequence operations;

determine if one or more customized boot sequence operations are stored at the device; and

if one or more customized boot sequence operations are stored at the device, execute at least one of the customized boot sequence operations after terminating the normal boot sequence operations.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the state of the status information indicates a customized order for execution of a plurality of boot sequence operations.

30. The device of claim 28, wherein the status information indicates that the device should execute a predefined series of boot sequence operations.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the status information comprises a plurality of alpha-numeric characters.

32. The device of claim 28, wherein the status information comprises a flag bit.

33. A method comprising:

storing in a device one or more security codes, wherein each of the one or more security codes is associated with at least one of a plurality of security functions and the one or more security codes are established by an end user, wherein the associations between the one or more security codes and the at least one of a plurality of security functions are reprogrammable and customizable by the end-user;

receiving information at the device;

setting a resettable status flap if the information is security information;

determining the state of the resettable status flap during a boot process;

terminating the boot process if the state of the resettable status flag indicates security information;

determining whether the security information is representative of at least one of the security codes; and

initiating the at least one of the plurality of security functions associated with the security code if the security code is represented in the received information after terminating the boot process.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the device comprises a wireless receiver and the information is received at the wireless receiver of the device.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the device does not indicate to a user that the information representative of at least one of the security codes has been received.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the device automatically initiates the at least one of the plurality of security functions associated with the security code represented in the received information.